The Ring
by Lazy Kitsune
Summary: When Yusuke Urameshi’s best friend Kazuma Kuwabara died under mysterious circumstances, he must investigate the cause with the help of his old friend Kurama. Everything leads to a strange videotape that kills the viewer after 7 days...
1. Intro

**The Ring**

**By Lazy Kitsune**

**Summary:** When Yusuke Urameshi's best friend Kazuma Kuwabara died under mysterious circumstances, he must investigate the cause with the help of his old friend Kurama. Everything leads to a strange videotape that kills the viewer after 7 days...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or The Ring.

**A/N:** I'm taking a little break from "Baka Hakusho" to write my first horror story. Don't worry, it won't interfere much with the production "Baka Hakusho". Well, not much to it, except it's a cross between YYH and The Ring...Yeah, that's the gist of it. It's based on both the movie and manga of The Ring. Oh, and there's a little Japanese in this story too. Here's the words used in this chapter:

Otooto – little brother

Ane – elder sister

Moshi moshi – equivalent to "Hello" when you pick up the phone

-

**Chapter 1 – Intro**

It was just another boring night – or so the Kuwabara siblings thought. They were sitting around being couch potatoes when Kazuma finally said, "I'm so bored!"

"Nng..." Shizuru murmured in agreement as she lit another cigarette. "Hey, Kazuma-kun, have you heard of the cursed video?"

"Cursed...video?"

"Yup. They say that there're these weird images in it, and at the end, someone calls you tells you you're gonna die in exactly seven days."

"...How do they call you?"

"I dunno...someone just _does."_ She laughed as Kazuma froze up. "It's just a little high school rumor."

"Wh-what kind of images?"

"Dunno. Weird stuff, I guess." Kazuma paled. "What is _wrong_ with you, Kazuma? Did I _scare_ you, Otooto?"

"Ane...I _watched_ a video with weird stuff in it," he slowly confessed.

Shizuru stared at him, slightly scared. "...What was on it?"

"I-I can't really explain," Kazuma replied. "It was really weird. And creepy. We went over to Sawamura's house to watch some movies...then the phone rang...That was all last week...seven days ago..."

"I don't –"

Suddenly, Kazuma's body tensed up, and he began choking. Shizuru stared at him in horror.

"Kazuma-kun!" she cried, rushing to his side. Then, angry and disgusted, she slapped him as he burst out laughing. "Moron!"

"Were you scared, Ane?" he laughed.

"Idiot!" Shizuru snarled, kicking him hard in the shins.

Just then, the phone rang. The Kuwabara siblings stopped and looked at each other. They approached the telephone cautiously as it kept ringing and stared at it.

"Well," Kazuma said in a hushed tone, "answer it."

"What! Why me!"

"Just do it!"

Shizuru answered the phone with a shaky hand. "Moshi moshi?" She waited a moment for the reply. Then she slowly turned to Kazuma and handed it to him, her eyes wide open in fright.

Kazuma felt his heart skip a beat as he fought to keep control. He shakily accepted the phone from his sister and said, "Moshi moshi?" Then he glared at Shizuru who was laughing as he continued, "Hey Urameshi."

Shizuru stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm gonna get another pack of cigarettes. Try not to burn the house down, Kazuma-kun." With that she exited the house, laughing as she went.

Kazuma rolled his eyes as Yusuke Urameshi asked, "Who was that?"

"Just Ane," Kazuma answered.

"What was she laughing about?"

"Look, did you call for your daily checkup on me or what!"

"Sheesh, someone's grouchy," Yusuke remarked. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the movies with me and Keiko tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever."

"Okay, but you have to bring your own money, Kuwabara."

"Why you little cheapskate –!" Kazuma began, but Yusuke had already hung up laughing. He glared at the phone a moment longer and hung it up.

Suddenly, he shivered. He felt like someone was watching him. He swallowed his fear and spun around. Nobody. However, the TV was on, static covering the screen. "What the...?" Kazuma walked toward it and turned it off. "Dammit, Shizuru, quit being a bitch!" As he turned around, he heard the static start up again.

Kazuma looked back at the TV. He was about to tell Shizuru off when he remembered she wasn't home. A shiver went up his spine as he shut it off and pulled out the plug. Then he rushed off; he wanted to get away from it.

He stopped short when he reached the door of his room. It was covered in frost. Kazuma stared at it in disbelief. _'Get away from here!'_ a small voice screamed in his head. _'Don't open that door...!'_ His breath quickened. _'I shouldn't open it...'_ he thought to himself. _'If I do...I'll regret it, but...'_ His hand shook as he opened the door.

A blast of icy air hit him as he screamed in terror.

-

**A/N:** That's it for now. Reviews would be greatly appreciated!


	2. Clues at Kazuma’s Wake

**The Ring**

**By Lazy Kitsune**

**Summary: **When Yusuke Urameshi's best friend Kazuma Kuwabara died under mysterious circumstances, he must investigate the cause with the help of his old friend Kurama. Everything leads to a strange videotape that kills the viewer after 7 days...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or The Ring.

**A/N:** Thank you so much for your reviews! I feel so good now, and that's a big deal! Yusuke's a little out of character here...oh well, Kuwabara was only his _best friend._ And now he's dead. Poor Yusuke. If no one's noticed, I'm doing this entire story from memory, so there may be parts missing or parts that weren't in The Ring that I added on. Here's the key for this chapter:

Doomo arigato gozaimasu – Thank you

-

**Chapter 2 – Clues at Kazuma's Wake**

Keiko Yukimura arrived in the Urameshi residence. She sighed sadly and knocked on the door.

"Yusuke?" she called out. "Atsuko-san? It's Keiko!" After a moment, Atsuko opened the door. "Sorry to disturb you, Atsuko-san."

"Keiko-chan..." Atsuko greeted sadly. "Please, come in." She closed the door behind Keiko and added, "Please help Yusuke, Keiko. He's trying to act tough, hiding his tears at breakfast, but he hasn't left his room since."

Keiko rushed and knocked on Yusuke's door. "Yusuke? Are you awake?" There was no answer for a while, but soon enough, Yusuke opened his door. "Yusuke, I –!" Keiko stopped short as she looked at his face. Yusuke's eyes were red, and there were black bags under them. He looked like he'd been up all night..._crying._ "Yusuke-kun..."

"Keiko..." Yusuke said softly before throwing his arms around her.

She patted his back softly as he sobbed for a while on her shoulder. She led him to his bed and helped him sit down. "Yusuke," she began, "I heard about Kuwabara-kun...I'm sorry."

"I...I don't understand," Yusuke said, his voice barely a whisper. "He was fine...I know he was, I called him!"

"Yusuke-kun..."

"Keiko, how...how could he have died so...so _easily?"_ Yusuke was truly confused. He buried his face into Keiko's shoulder. "Why...why would he? What could've –?"

"Yusuke...get a grip." Keiko moved his head from her shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Be strong."

"I-I know..." Yusuke rubbed his eyes. "Sorry. Kinda lost myself for a while there." He grinned sheepishly.

"It's okay...Are you ready to go to Kuwabara-kun's wake?"

"...Yeah...Let's go."

-

Besides Yusuke, Keiko, and Atsuko, a few other people had shown up in the Kuwabara residence for Kazuma Kuwabara's wake, including some teachers and classmates.

"Strange..." Yusuke muttered.

"What is it?" Keiko asked him.

"Kuwabara's gang ain't here...thought they might as well show up for his wake..."

"Yeah..." Keiko's friends suddenly called her over. "I'll be back, okay Yusuke?" He nodded. She put her hand on his arm and smiled before walking off.

Yusuke walked up to the closed casket that carried his friend's body and put his hand on it. A strange overwhelming feeling of icy terror rushed through him, and he immediately withdrew his hand.

"Now that's a weird vibe..." he murmured as he stared at the casket for while longer. He examined his hand and was shocked at its slight bluish color. "What the...?"

"...I'm sorry...about both of them," he heard his mother say. He turned and saw she was talking to Kazuma's parents. "To lose one to death and the other to insanity..."

"It's okay, Urameshi-san," they said. "Doomo arigato gozaimasu for all your support..."

"Why's his casket is closed?" Yusuke suddenly asked, curious.

The adults looked at him. Atsuko glared, but Mrs. Kuwabara replied in a shaky voice, "...H-his body." Yusuke stared at her. "The autopsy couldn't figure out how he died."

"...What happened to his body?" Yusuke asked carefully.

"...The flesh on his entire body...everything..." She swallowed. "I saw his face...it looked so frightened beyond imaginable..." She stopped and began to sob on her husband's shoulder.

"..." Yusuke left them and wandered around the house. He stopped in front of a door that had, when he took a closer look, bits of ice stuck on the wood. He turned the knob and found himself in Kazuma's room.

"He certainly didn't have much taste on decoration," Yusuke commented to himself as he looked around. He heard something crack beneath his foot when he took a step, and when he examined what it was, he found more ice. "..."

"What's wrong, Yusuke-kun?" Keiko asked behind him. "What're you doing in Kuwabara-kun's room?"

"..." Yusuke looked at her and said simply, "It's not his room anymore, Keiko."

"My friends said that three other guys from our school died at the same night Kuwabara-kun did..." she told him as they rejoined the guests at the wake. "Maybe it's his gang."

Yusuke frowned. "They weren't over at his house when I called..."

"Well, that's what my friends told me," Keiko shrugged.

Yusuke looked out the window and saw some students from his class talking and smoking. "I'll be back," he told Keiko and went to them. "Yo," he greeted, trying not to laugh at the students' terrified looks at his presence. He took a guy's cigarette and said, "Look, I got some questions, and you may have some answers to them. I won't hurt no one as long as you guys keep me happy, got it?" The petrified students nodded. "Was it true three other guys from our school died at the same night Kuwabara did?"

"Y-yeah," a guy answered. "Their names were Sawamura, Kirishima, and Ohkubo."

"...Are you sure it was those _exact_ same names?"

"Y-yes, Urameshi-san!"

"Do you know how they died?"

The three boys looked at each other. Two of them shook their heads, but one guy said, "I heard they'd all watched a...a _videotape."_

"Videotape?" Yusuke said, frowning. "Wait, that doesn't make sense...What would a _videotape_ have anything to do with Kuwabara's _death?"_

"Th-there's a rumor about a tape, Urameshi-san," he timidly answered. "They say if you watch it, you'll die a week later."

Yusuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "A videotape?" he repeated. "You die after a week you watch it?" The three boys nodded. "What's on the tape?"

They looked at each other. "We don't know," a guy finally answered. "We haven't seen it."

-

**A/N:** Well, so much for the second chapter. I'll try my best to get my hands on the DVD or manga, but until then, we'll be stuck with stuff from the top of my head. Please review!


	3. A Mysterious Tape

**The Ring**

**By Lazy Kitsune**

**Summary:** When Yusuke Urameshi's best friend Kazuma Kuwabara died under mysterious circumstances, he must investigate the cause with the help of his old friend Kurama. Everything leads to a strange videotape that kills the viewer after 7 days...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or The Ring.

**A/N:** I'm so sorry I haven't updated! (big puppy-dog eyes) You're all so nice to me and I'm such a stupid procrastinator... (sniffs and pulls herself together) In this chapter, Yusuke continues acting more and more like the detective he is...or at least supposed to be. Will you call that behavior out of character for him? Oh, and I decided that I won't make it an exact copy of the movie. It'll still be about The Ring, just…my version. Well, technically it's the Yu Yu Hakusho version… (babbles on and on)

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**Chapter 3 – A Mysterious Tape**

It had been several days since Kazuma Kuwabara's wake, and Yusuke had been researching the four boys' death. He collected information from newspapers to news broadcasts to gossiping students. It surprised him that all four of them had died in the exact same time.

"That's weird…" Yusuke murmured as he browsed through his collected documents.

"What's weird?" Keiko asked, suddenly appearing behind him.

Yusuke jumped from his chair, dropping all his papers all over the place. "Whoa, Keiko! Where'd you come from!"

"The door was open, so I let myself in," she answered, picking up some papers. She raised an eyebrow as she glanced at a headline. "Yusuke…What exactly…?"

"Nothing," he said, grabbing the papers from her.

Keiko smiled and put a hand on his arm. "Yusuke, I know you and Kuwabara were really close, but…"

"But what?" Yusuke asked, his voice a little edgy. "What, Keiko?"

"Well…I think you're taking this a little too seriously."

"I'm _what?"_

"Look, no one knows how he died, Yusuke," Keiko said, now getting irritated. "The autopsy wasn't able to come up with anything, and detectives can't figure it out –"

"Ah, that's where _I_ come in," Yusuke interrupted smugly. "I bet I can figure it out, just give me a coupla days and –"

"You're flipping nuts!" she shouted. "Why don't you just stop it! You never know when to give up!" They stood glaring at each other for a couple of seconds.

Yusuke turned away and said in a low voice, "He was my best friend." Keiko opened her mouth to say something, but he continued, "I'm not just gonna sit back and let this pass me by." He looked her in the eye. "I just can't, Keiko."

Keiko looked as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Then she picked up her purse and turned to the door. Yusuke sat back and let out a deep sigh. He almost didn't hear Keiko's next words.

"Sawamura residence."

"Wha –?"

Keiko turned her head and looked at him. "The Sawamura residence. I heard that's the place where Kuwabara and his gang got together one night." She opened the door. "You might find something there." With that, she closed the door behind her.

-------------------------------------

Yusuke took a deep breath as the door to the Sawamura residence opened. A woman just a little shorter than him with dark brown hair eyed him suspiciously and asked, "Yes?"

"Hi, my name is Yusuke Urameshi, a friend of your son," he added quickly as the woman's eyes widened with fright at the sound of his name. "I'm just here to learn more about the cause of his death, Mrs. Sawamura."

She thought for a moment, wondering whether or not she could trust the teen standing on her doorstep. Then she stepped to the side and said, "Come in." She led him to the living room. "Please, have a seat. I'll go get some tea."

Yusuke observed the room. _'Nothing out of the ordinary,'_ he thought. Then he saw it.

It was a black video case, just on top of the T.V. The fact that it had no labels on it had roused Yusuke's curiosity. He moved to get a better look at it and then opened the case. A plain old unlabeled tape. Yet he felt a certain chill go up his spine as he held it in his hands.

_They all watched a video tape together…_

He suddenly heard Mrs. Sawamura's footsteps approaching from the kitchen. Yusuke quickly put the tape into his backpack just as she came into the room. As she placed the tray onto the coffee table, Yusuke bowed and said, "Excuse me, Mrs. Sawamura, but something came up."

"But you just arrived –" she began, but Yusuke was already at the door.

"Sorry for the trouble!" he said before speeding away.

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Back at his house, Yusuke eyed the tape. "A tape that kills, yeah right," he said to nobody, but he stayed glued to his seat. After a few more minutes, he laughed nervously at his fear. "I'm being so stupid! It's just a tape!" With that, he popped it into the VCR.

Strange images flashed across the screen. In the end, Yusuke was puzzled. That made no sense whatsoever. "There is no freaking way that Kuwabara died from this lame-ass tape…"

Suddenly, his phone rang. Yusuke froze, and then proceeded to answer it. A soft voice whispered two words that chilled him to the bone.

_"Seven days…"_

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**A/N:** I know I've been bad…And I know that chapter sucked…Sorry!


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